Device for distributing substances in bathing water of a bathing tub

ABSTRACT

A lattice like construction of tubes having fine bores is adapted to be put into a bathing tub and to receive air, oxygen or steam for distributing same in the bathing water. Air may be pumped by a bellow means. Steam may be fed by a boiling-water preparing device which includes means for receiving bathing or medical additives.

[ Oct. 22, 1974 United States Patent [191 Hunhausen et a1.

12/1962 Richter.............,..

5/1966 Wood [5 1' DEVICE FOR DISTRIBUTING SUBSTANCES 3,066,668

IN BATHING WATER OF A BATHING TUB 10/1968 R0den.....

Bryant FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS Mn n m m w TB 9 2 677 999 H 95 594 754 696 673 333 e 0 kS mm S hum. a $.10 ew m e e s m b !n e dw uw a e n X 5A HO Ow a m 6 H2A E r 0 t n e v n l I 6 7 I WilnsdorfiGernsdorf, both of Germany [22] Filed: June 21, 1972 or Firm-Hauke,. Gifford, Patalidis &

g r 6 b Ma r M .H B d 6M m a i r m mwm m im Em Wm atmo .m m0m HSU IAAD 0 0% M k MA 1 m" 4 mm 6 a" 2 a" I I. L WC w E A U] I. III I. 211 2 55 [L [I [57] ABSTRACT A lattice like construction of tubes having fine bores is [58] Field of Search............ 4/160, 180, 147, 185 S, 4/178,146, 161; 128/367 adapted to be put into a bathing tub and to receive air, oxygen or steam for distributing same in the bathing water, Air may be pumped by a bellow means. Steam may be fed by a boiling-water preparing device which includes means for receiving bathing or medical additives.

11 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures PATENTS Hohman MIsIura mmm nl w a d, BMB 9 4 9 H 2 DEVICE FOR DISTRIBUTING SUBSTANCES IN BATIIING WATER OF A BATI-IING TUB I FIELD or THE INVENTION This invention relates to a device for distributing air, oxygen and bathing or medical additives in bathingwater as well as for supplying steam into a bathing-tub or the like.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART SUMMARY OF- THE INVENTION It is a first object of the invention to reduce considerably the costs of the device of the kind indicated.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a device for motion therapy, especially water treadling.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a steam bath.

According to the present invention, bellows means, preferably comprising two bellows, is connected with a latticeor grate-like assembly of tubes having small bores and being adapted to be put onto the bottom wall BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THEDRAWINGS FIG. 1 shows a schematic outline of the new device,

FIG. 2 shows a fastening support for two bellows of one modification of the present device and FIG. 3 shows a bed-like supporting construction for the present device.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of another preferred em bodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 5 is a cross sectional view of a portion of the assembly shown in FIG. 5 enlarged somewhat for purposes of clarity.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS As can best be seen in FIG. 1 at the bottom of a bathing-tub a grate-like mat or lattice like assembly of tubes 2 is put consisting of lath planks or plastic profiles 3 and tubes 4, 5, 6' and 7. Small bores or holes are made into the side walls of the tubes 4 to 7. The tubes 4, 5

and 6 are placed side by side, in parallel, while the tube of a bathing tub. The bellows may be worked alternately.

Alternatively, the pump of a vacuum cleaner may be used by connecting the pressure side thereof with the assembly of tubes.

In order to mount the two bellows within the bathing tub, it is preferred to use suction cups. A rod-like support can also be used, the ends of which are provided with suction cup-like restsand whose effective length is changeable by screws. In this way it is possible to mount the device of the present invention to ordinary bathing-tubs without requiring special works to accomodate it. The screws consist of a turning handle with rightand left-handed thread. A second rod vertical to the first rod can be arranged to be supported on the foot-end of the bathing-tub.

The tube assembly may comprise a special tube for connecting the pressure-reservoir which can be an oxygen cylinder or a boiling-water preparing device. When the pressure reservoir is a device for boiling water, a type is used in which bathingor medical additive can be supplied and which has a waste steam pipe so that the developed steam as well as the additive can be directed into the special tube. Furthermore, the device for boiling water is controlled by the temperature of the steam in the special tube in order to preclude on scaldand 18 each are respectively connected with the ings when maintaining a desired constant temperature.

The device comprises a covering adapted to the bathing-tub and letting free the head of a person using the device, while preparing a Roman bath or a steamor vapour-bath.

These objects and other features of the present invention will become more apparent from the following illustrative description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing.

7 serves for connecting the other tubes 4, 5 and 6.

Flexible pipes 10, 11 and 12 are connected to the ends of the tubes 4, 5 and 6. The pipe 10 leads to a bellow 15 and the pipe 12 to a bellows 16.

The belows 15, 16 as can best be seen in FIG. 2 are arranged inside of the bathing-tub and mounted on a wall thereof by means of suction. cups (not shown). Such suction cups are well known. The suction cups have a side fixed onto the respective bellow and a suction side for mounting and demounting the bellows. In FIG. 1 the bellows 15, 16 have been shown outside of the tub only for sake of clearness of the drawing. The bellows 15, 16 have inlet-pipes 17 and 18 respectively which may be connected to one pipe 19. The pipes 17 interior of the bellows 15-16 by inlet-valves 21 and 22, respectively, while the outlet-pipes 10 and 12 each have outlet valves 23 and 24 respectively. The valves 21 to 24 are simple checkvalves.

StilI referring to FIG. I, the rrii ddle tube 5 is connected by pipe 11 with a steam-preparing device 30 and can be separated from pipe 11 by a valve (not shown). The pipe 11 may comprise a cooling water jacket for cooling the steam. As a steam-preparing device, an apparatus is used having a filling hole for bathing or medical materials, that is closed by a cap 31 absorbing a certain pressure. For controlling the streampreparing device, a control system 32 is used having a temperature sensing device 33 arranged at the middle tube 5 such as to switch on or off the power supply to the stream-preparing device 30 according to the requirements. The control system 32 may include a thermostat so that the steam temperature in the tubes 4-7 be chosen. Furthermore, the tube 5 may comprise an electro-magnetic stop valve (not shown) operated by the control system 32.

Together with the steam-preparing device a covering (not shown) of the bathing-tub can be used which is adapted to fit around the neck of the bathing person.

In FIG. 2 a method of fastening of the bellows 15 and 16 directly at the foobend of the lbathing-tub is shown. The fastening consists mainly of a rod 40 as well as of another rod (not shown) arranged vertically to the first one extending against the end of the bathing-tub 1 to prevent the rod 40 from tilting. The rod 40 itself consists of two tubes 41 and 42 at the ends of which suction cups 43 and 44 are attached flexibly, for example by ball joints. The tube 41 has a right-handed thread while the other tube 42 has a left-handed thread. A turning handle 45 with screws 46 and 47 has been screwed into the ends of the tubes 41 and 42 so that by turning the handle 45 the effective length of the rod 40 is changeable. The rod 40 can therefore be squeezed in between the two side walls of a bathing-tub whereby the suction cups 43, 44 straighten according to the inclination of the sides of the tub 1. The two bellows 15 and 16 are fixed to the rod 40 by butt straps 48 and 49, and the back of the bellows 15 and 16 lay against the d. 01th? b thingi b The pipe 11 can also be connected with an oxygen cylinder, if it is desired to distributed oxygen instead of air.

FIG. 3 shows another variation for the fastening of the bellows 15, 16. A bed-like supporting construction 50 is provided which consists of a section 51 running horizontally and following the bottom of the bathingtub and a section 52 rising up the head end wall of the bathing-tub The two sections 51, 52 are connected flexibly one to another. Each section may contain two rails, for instance two U-rails 53 or 54, connecting plates 57, 58 as well as pads of plastic foam 55, 56. The bellows 15, 16 lie over part 52 while the lattice like assembly is put onto the part 51.

FIGS. 4 and show a further, preferred embodiment of the invention. Like parts to the first described embodiments have reference numbers increased by 100.

Plastic profiles 102 are arranged parallel to one another and vertically to plastic profiles 103 that are parallel to one another, too. The profiles 102 and 103 are fixed together by glueing orwelding to form a grate like mat or a bed like construction having two sections 151 and 152 that are connected pivotally one to another. The profiles 103 have ribs 103a and notches made therein. The notches 103b consist of slits and cylindrical extensions to accommodate flexible plastic tubes 104a, b and 106a, b having fine bores for passing through the substances to be distributed. The tubes 104a, b and 106a, b are connected together by pipe joints 108 having three arms to form a lattice like assembly. Pipes 110 and 112 are connected with free arms of joints 108 and lead to a valve block 120 having inlet openings 117, 118, inlet valves 121, 122 and outlet valves 123, 124. The valves 121 through 124 each comprise a valve body 125 cooperating with a respective seat 126 formed on the valve block 120 that includes two chambers 127 (one of which is shown in FIG. 5). The back walls of these chambers 127 are made of a common flexible plate 128, while the front walls 129 are formed with flanges to hold bellows 115, 116. Helical springs 119 in truncated cone forms urge the rims of the bellows 115, 116 against the flanges 129 to form an air tight seat and to restore the initial shape of the bellows 115, 116. As may be seen by those skilled in the art, bellows 115, 116 and valve block 120 together with valves 121 124 form a pump device feeding air when the bellows are actuated alternately. The back wall 128 carries two suction cups 143, 144, one side of which is permanently fixed to the valve block 120 while the other side serves to detachably mount the valve block 120 and the bellows 115, 116 onto a bathing tub. In order to accommodate the bellows to a curved wall of a bathing tub, the plate 128 may bent.

When disengaging pipes 110, 112 from the valve block and using a pipe joint similar to pipe. joint 108, that fitting is ready to be connected to a source of air (vacuum cleaner) or of oxygen (oxygen cylinder) or of steam (steam preparing device), thus providing a device for distributing air, oxygen, steam and bathing or medical additives in bathing water of a bathing tub.

We claim:

1. A device for distributing air in the water retained in a bathtub having a bottom, sides, and ends, said device comprising a lattice-like assembly adapted to removably set on the bottom of the bathtub, the latticelike assembly comprising a plurality of tubes having fine bores, at least one bellows and means detachably mounting said bellows to one of the ends of the bathtub to be manipulated by the feet of a bather, said bellows being connected to said tubes by conduit means and valve means connected intermediate said bellows and said tubes, said valve means including a first valve part being operable to open upon said bellows being compressed to permit air to be pumped from said bellows to said tubes and a second valve part operable to close upon expansion of said bellows to prevent water from being drawn through said tubes to said bellows.

2. The device as defined in claim 1 and in which there is a pair of bellows mounted side-by-side to one of the ends of said bathtub to be manipulated by both feet of the bather.

3. The device as set forth in claim 1, wherein said lattice like assembly is a bed-like supporting construction having a horizontal section and a generally vertical sec tion pivotably linked together.

4. Device set forth in claim 1, wherein said mounting means includes suction cups each having one side fixed onto the bellows and a suction side to be detachably mounted onto the end of said bathing tub.

5. Device set forth in claim 1, wherein said mounting means includes a rod, the length of which is adjustable to equal the distance of the sides between a bathing tub.

6. Device set forth in claim 1, wherein said assembly is adapted to be connected to sources of air, oxygen, steam, bathing or medical additives.

7. Device set forth in claim 6, wherein said source is a boiling water preparing device having a cover and means for adding bathing or medical additives and a waste steam pipe being connected to said tube assembly.

8. Device set forth in claim 7, comprising a covering means adapted to be put over said bathing tub and having a cutout to leave free the neck portion of a person using the device.

9. Device set forth in claim 1, comprising a switching control means including a temperature sensing means, wherein said boiling water preparing device has an electrical power supply and said control means switches on and off said power supply in accordance with the temperature sensed by the sensing means.

10. Device set forth in claim 6, wherein there is a single source and said source is a vacuum cleaner, the pressure side of which is to be connected to said tube assembly.

11. Device set forth in claim 6, wherein said source is an oxygen cylinder.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE" CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent bio- 3 42 446 Dat d Oct. 22'. 1974 Inventor(s) I Hugo Hanhausen It is certified that error appears in the above-iderztified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown'below:

- Col. 1, line 59, delete "on".

' Col. 2, line '63, after "bathing tub" insert --l- Signed and sealed this 31st day of December 1974.

(SEAL) Attest:

MQCOY :1. GIBSON JR. 0. MARSHALL DANE Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents 

1. A device for distributing air in the water retained in a bathtub having a bottom, sides, and ends, said device comprising a lattice-like assembly adapted to removably set on the bottom of the bathtub, the lattice-like assembly comprising a plurality of tubes having fine bores, at least one bellows and means detachably mounting said bellows to one of the ends of the bathtub to be manipulated by the feet of a bather, said bellows being connected to said tubes by conduit means and valve means connected intermediate said bellows and said tubes, said valve means including a first valve part being operable to open upon said bellows being compressed to permit air to be pumped from said belLows to said tubes and a second valve part operable to close upon expansion of said bellows to prevent water from being drawn through said tubes to said bellows.
 2. The device as defined in claim 1 and in which there is a pair of bellows mounted side-by-side to one of the ends of said bathtub to be manipulated by both feet of the bather.
 3. The device as set forth in claim 1, wherein said lattice like assembly is a bed-like supporting construction having a horizontal section and a generally vertical section pivotably linked together.
 4. Device set forth in claim 1, wherein said mounting means includes suction cups each having one side fixed onto the bellows and a suction side to be detachably mounted onto the end of said bathing tub.
 5. Device set forth in claim 1, wherein said mounting means includes a rod, the length of which is adjustable to equal the distance of the sides between a bathing tub.
 6. Device set forth in claim 1, wherein said assembly is adapted to be connected to sources of air, oxygen, steam, bathing or medical additives.
 7. Device set forth in claim 6, wherein said source is a boiling water preparing device having a cover and means for adding bathing or medical additives and a waste steam pipe being connected to said tube assembly.
 8. Device set forth in claim 7, comprising a covering means adapted to be put over said bathing tub and having a cutout to leave free the neck portion of a person using the device.
 9. Device set forth in claim 1, comprising a switching control means including a temperature sensing means, wherein said boiling water preparing device has an electrical power supply and said control means switches on and off said power supply in accordance with the temperature sensed by the sensing means.
 10. Device set forth in claim 6, wherein there is a single source and said source is a vacuum cleaner, the pressure side of which is to be connected to said tube assembly.
 11. Device set forth in claim 6, wherein said source is an oxygen cylinder. 